Bahawalpur: An awareness roundtable conference on the impact of fake news, intolerance, and extremist content on social media was held in Bahawalpur, under the auspices of the Media Cell for Countering Violent Extremism of the Press Information Department. The conference was jointly chaired by Director General PID Tahira Saeeda and Project Director Shahid Imran Ranjha. A large number of senior faculty members and students from the Department of Media Studies, Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), participated in the event.

According to Radio Pakistan, senior IUB faculty member Dr. Moazzam Khan Durrani addressed the participants, stating that fake news misleads public opinion and contributes to social instability. He emphasized that in the digital age, verifying information is not only the responsibility of students but of every citizen. Dr. Hanan Khan Tareen, also from the Department of Media Studies, delivered a detailed talk on the spread of fake news and the misuse of social media platforms.

Meanwhile, Dr. Abida Naureen, Awais Gillani, and Raza Majid highlighted the importance of promoting media literacy among youth to counter misinformation effectively. The participants unanimously agreed that journalists, educational institutions, and social media users must collectively play their role in curbing the menace of fake news.

Director General PID Tahira Saeeda and Project Director Shahid Imran Ranjha also responded to questions raised by students. At the conclusion of the conference, shields were presented to the distinguished speakers by the organizers.